My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir. I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices.

In line with the current political offense against women's reproductive health, a female Georgetown University law student and a celebrated NASCAR driver have become the latest piñatas for ultra-conservative cigar-chomper Rush Limbaugh (and Bill O'Reilly, see below)--and new darlings for the left.

Earlier this week the right-wing radio personality and No. 23 on FORBES 2011 Celebrity 100 directed a twin-barreled strike on Sandra Fluke and Danica Patrick. Fluke is the 30-year-old Georgetown Law student who testified before an unofficial Democratic House panel last week on contraception; the same woman House Republicans wouldn't allow to speak at their mid-February hearing on contraception and religious liberty. Patrick is the female NASCAR champ who is openly in favor of the Obama administration's contraception-coverage rule without exemption for religious groups.

In her February 23 testimony, Fluke painted an emotional picture of life without contraception insurance at the Jesuit university, saying that without it, "contraception can cost a woman over $3,000 during law school."

Georgetown does not cover contraceptives in its student insurance, although it does cover contraceptives for faculty and staff. On a daily basis, I hear from yet another woman who has suffered financial, emotional and medical burdens because of this lack of contraception coverage.

Tough luck with that, according to Limbaugh. After pondering this woman's testimony, he has repeatedly called her a slut and a prostitute--and the U.S. taxpayer a pimp.

What does it say about the college co-ed Sandra Fluke, who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex, what does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex. She’s having so much sex she can’t afford the contraception. She wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex. What does that make us? We’re the pimps.

“Reprehensible. Disappointing,” said President Barack Obama. “Vicious and inappropriate,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Obama personally phoned Fluke this morning, expressing "his disappointment that she has been the subject of inappropriate personal attacks, and [to] thank her for exercising her rights as a citizen to speak out on an issue of public policy,” White House Spokesman Jay Carney said. “It is disappointing that those kinds of personal and crude attacks could be leveled against someone like this young law school student who was simply expressing her opinion on a matter of public policy, and doing so with a great deal of poise."

As reported on the Los Angeles Times Politics Now blog, Limbaugh's comments also prompted a flurry of emails from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's "War on Women" campaign, publicizing a booty of $1.1 million raised in one week.

The reaction that they are having to what I said yesterday about Susan Fluke -- or Sandra Fluke, whatever her name is -- the Georgetown student who went before a congressional committee and said she's having so much sex, she's going broke buying contraceptives and wants us to buy them. I said, "Well, what would you call someone who wants us to pay for her to have sex? What would you call that woman? You'd call 'em a slut, a prostitute or whatever.

Another recent Limbaugh jab against women came fresh off Patrick's loss at the Daytona 500 on Monday. Limbaugh spit: "She [Patrick] said, 'I leave it up to the government to make good decisions for America.' … What do you expect from a woman driver? I don't know why everybody was so shocked." [Men, BTW, cause more auto accidents and expensive damage.]

In addition, Limbaugh's corporate sponsors are feeling heat, fielding thousands of demands that they cut ties with the radio program, according to ThinkProgress.org. Carbonite, issued a statement on the company's website saying that it would no longer advertise with Limbaugh. Sleep Number, The Sleep Train, Quicken Loans, Legal Zoom and Citrix have also suspended advertising with the Rush Limbaugh Show, "and several others are considering following their lead."

Most have not, and Limbaugh continues to have his supporters, including Bill O'Reilly. In a Friday broadcast on Fox News, O'Reilly insisted Fluke is asking taxpayers to pay for her “social life.”

So let me get this straight, Ms. Fluke, and I ask this with all due respect, I am: You want me to give you my hard earned money so you can have sex...So why, then, won’t the government pay for my activities?

For the record, O'Reilly, 62 and married to a PR executive nearly 17 years his junior, opposes contraception insurance but believes Viagra should be covered.